Lee 3
before you in London was that the British and Hong Kong Governments seem to be taking an entirely different
approach. They were both defensive when confronted with our
many problems in Hong Kong and I had a distinct feeling that they were more concerned with exonerating themselves and their Governments from blame rather than making the Agreement work, and they sounded particularly unconvincing
on the democratization of this Territory. But surely that
is not the right attitude to take. For what does it profit the British Government if it gains an acquittal on all
counts of failings raised against it, but suffers the loss
of Hong Kong even before 1997? I therefore urge you not to be led by the British and the Hong Kong Governments up the
garden path, which we call Garden Road here, so that you
would miss the wood for the trees. I submit, that the
burden which falls on the British Government is much heavier
than just satisfying you that it is not to blame for many of its failings in Hong Kong. For their unbounded duty is to
make the Agreement work and not explain why it hasn't, for
the Agreement was not made for the British Government to get
out of a sticky situation, but to enable the Hong Kong
success story to continue beyond 1997.
Sir, in the following pages I have dealt
with the issue of nationality, which I would not waste time
on by reading, although I mean to say that to you and I hope
you will deem that to be read. And, I will if I may skip a few
pages then and come to the bottom of page four.
2.4.1
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.